What ’ s Hot in Cordials Liqueurs
Cordials and liqueurs aren ’ t always the first image that springs to mind when thinking about the beverage alcohol industry , but they ’ re a vital part of any bartender ’ s arsenal as a frequent ingredient of many popular cocktails . ‘ Cordial ’ and ‘ liqueur ’ are two different words for essentially the same thing – a sweetened , flavored liquor – except in the UK , where ‘ cordial ’ can also refer to a sweetened , nonalcoholic drink .
“ You need liqueurs in a lot of cocktails . A lot of people are drinking out again , coming back out of the pandemic ,” says Johnny Swet , master mixologist and founding partner of JIMMY rooftop bar in NYC .
“ Cordials and liqueurs definitely seem to be a necessity ,” says Robb Knarr , beverage director of Sorry Charlie ’ s Oyster Bar in Savannah , GA . “ I like to think of cocktails as categories , and there are whole categories that use cordials for their foundation . Cocktail people are like chefs ; they ’ re always looking for new flavors . If you wanted a margarita , one of the key ingredients is orange liqueur . You could use orange juice but it ’ s just not the same . They ’ re just of vital importance to capture that huge range of flavors .”
THE LOWDOWN According to Drizly , a leading online ordering and delivery service for alcohol , “ Liqueurs start as a base spirit and then , the cream , spices , herbs or nuts are brought in with some more sugar or sweeteners to create the liqueur ’ s flavor profile . A few examples of a ‘ base spirit ’ are brandy , gin , rum , tequila , vodka and whiskey . The desired flavor profile of the liqueur will decide which base spirit to use and how to add flavoring .”
Flavorman is a beverage development company that focuses on R & D in flavoring , working with companies that range from household names to start-ups , and everything in between . They are often asked to consult on creating new cordial flavors to bring to market .
Cocktail people are like chefs ; they ’ re always looking for new flavors . If you wanted a margarita , one of the key ingredients is orange liqueur . You could use orange juice but it ’ s just not the same . They ’ re just of vital importance to capture that huge range of flavors .
Robb Knarr , beverage director of Sorry Charlie ’ s bar .
“ Cordial and liqueurs are typically sweeter by legal definition ( must contain at least a 2.5 % combination of sugars by weight ); it is common that they require a heavy dose of flavor ,” explains Katie Clark , director of R & D at Flavorman . “ Further , these beverages normally will maximize the amount of flavoring at 2.5 % to take advantage of tax savings allowed by regulation . Because many of the ready-to-drink cocktails are classified as cordials , there is a balancing act to flavor these drinks in accordance with their sweetener levels , as some contain lower levels of sugar and are carbonated . These attributes add to the taste perception , requiring much less flavor than their higher-sugar cousins .”
“ In general ,” Clark continues , “ consumers demand more complex and layered flavors in both lower-proof , less-sweet cordials , as well as the higher-proof , very-sweet liqueurs . This combination to be flavor forward and multidimensional generates a fun and challenging opportunity in the beverage lab .”
This process begets an innovative category that is as prone to experimentation and innovation as bourbon or craft beer — perhaps even more so .
“ This is really one of my favorite categories ,” says Melissa Dowling , Editor of Cheers , our sister publication , in a recent On & O ff podcast episode on cordials and liqueurs . “ It ’ s my favorite aisle in the big liquor stores , because there ’ s just so many fun and interesting products .”
Winter 2022 • Beverage Wholesaler 9